Yesterday, I was having a conversation with a friend about gratitude and appreciation. I was speaking about appreciation as being for everything—what you have received and what has gone from you or never comes to you. He stated that gratitude was for what we had, but more. It was the foundation that appreciation could spring from. What I realized in that moment is that gratitude gives your dimension and appreciation gives you depth. Together, they are partners in vastness—your vastness.

Gratitude gives you the width and breath of your life and appreciation gives you the depth. One is vertical and the other horizontal. Together they create a more alive, juicy, in-depth life.

The easiest way I know to practice these great jewels of life is to slow your rhythms down. When racing, you bypass so much. You just fly by missing the delicacies and delights of life. Funny that you crave sweets and treats and yet you bypass so many of those treats that come to visit you. Last night, I was speaking with several of my students after class and one student was lamenting that she just wanted to have a man to take care of her so she can relax. We spoke more and she revealed that even on dates, she was always trying to control every situation. She was longing to have the feminine brought out in her but she was fighting anyone who attempted to do so. After speaking and listening more, I said, “I want you to do something. Will you just practice this one thing? Sunia. This is the capacity to listen with your entire being. Just start with listening to everyone. Try having no opinion from the start. just listen and let what they are saying or doing be interesting. Will you do that?” Another student wrote it down. The first student said, “Yes, I will try.”

Look into Japji. Google it. You can hear it chanted on YouTube or get the written translation in several languages. Out of the 40 verses that Guru Nanak wrote after he was liberated, four (which is 10%) are dedicated to Sunia. 10% of what he got in this liberated state was LISTEN, for it is in listening that you can learn. It is in listening that you can merge understanding and compassion. You don’t have to fix anyone. You are spared from saving the world. You can find deep calm and acceptance in listening from your heart, your essence, your intuition. Simply listen. Don’t judge. Don’t analyze. Just allow it to be interesting. You will elicit much more depth in what is revealed to you. If the person is just complaining, when there is no resistance or reaction, there is nothing to keep pushing against. It will diffuse them. Give yourself 40 days of just listening. Sunia. See what happens to you and your life. Then please, let me know.